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W. READING.

Corn Sheller.

Patented July 13, 18,52,

UNITED srans 'l TE FFIC.

CORN-SHELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,120, dated July 13, 1852.

To all 'whom it may conccm:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM READING, of the city of Vashington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and Improved Corn-Sheller; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which- Figure 1, is an end view of my improved corn Sheller, Fig. 2, a longitudinal vert-ical section of the hollow case and frame, in the line of Fig. 1, and a side elevation of the other parts of the machine, and Fig. 3, a transverse section, in the line Q, of Fig. 2.

Like parts are designated by like letters in all the figures.

I construct my improved corn-sheller in the following mannen-I employ a hollow cylindrical case A, of suitable dimensions, (say about 4 feet long, and 16 inches in diameter), and place it nearly horizontally in its frame, or so that the end, into which the corn is to be fed, shall be some 2 inches higher than the other end. Within said cylindrical case I place a cylinder B, extending its entire length, and of such diameter as to leave a space of about 4l inches everywhere between its periphery and the case A. On the periphery of said cylinder I place a set of parallel ridges Z1, b, &c., or rows of teetl inch high or thereaboutwinding around it about its circumference in its entire length. At the bottom of the case A, I place a small cylinder' C, of the same length, and so situated that its upper side shall just reach through the lower side of the case A, where an aperture it, is made to admit it, of suliicient size only to allow shelled corn to pass out by the small cylinder C, and not the cobs. Two or more ridges c, c, are placed on the periphery of said cylinder C, parallel with its axis and about .l inch in height. The cylinder B, is revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 3, or so that the spiral ridges b, I), &.c., shall gradually drive the ears and cobs to the discharging aperture g, of the case A. The speed of the cylinder B, should not be so great as to break the grains, but as high as may be without producing such result. I find by experiment that 800 revolutions per minute make a proper speed for a cylinder 8 inches in diameter. The cylinder C', is driven by the cylinder B, and so as to turn in the direction the reverse of that of the cylinder B, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 3. The object of this is, that the cylinder C, may not retard but accelerate the motien given to the corn by the cylinder' B. On the descending side of the small cylinder O, t-he opening L, in the case A, should be only large enough to allow the shelled corn to pass out, otherwise the cobs would be driven into the space and clog there. But on the ascending side of said cylinder C, the space may be considerably larger, provided it does not allow the cobs to drop through, because the upward action of the cylinder C, and of its ridges c, c, would prevent the cobs clogging therein.

a, is the hopper when the ears of corn are inserted; g, the aperture for discharging the cobs. I

The operation of my sheller is as follows. viz-The unshelled ears being thrown in at the hopper a, are kept in motion by the revolving cylinder B, causing the ears to strike together, beat against the sides and top of the ease A, and especially against the cobs, which soon accumulate at or near the bottom; the space around the revolving cylinder B, being left large for that purpose, and to allow free play to the ears; and this is an importantand distinguishing feature of my invention. At the same time, the spiral arrangement of the ridges or teeth l), &c., gradually move the ears and cobs to the other end of the machine, and tin-ally out through the opening g, when the ears will be found to be completely shelled. The small cylinder C, with its ridges c, c, revolving at the same time, clears the shelled corn from the case A, leaving the cobs at the bottom, and ascending side of the cylinder B. which form an elastic bed of sufficient tirmness to render the shelling complete without. the use of any rest, which always requires a great addition of power. Thus a large quantity of ears is kept constantly in all parts of the Sheller, and continually in motion, by which they are more quickly and eftectually shelled, withmuch less expense of power than by any other sheller known to the subscriber.

Having` thus fully described my improved corn Sheller, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The within described combination of a toothed or flanged cylinder with an inclosing cylindrical casing of such proportions respectively, and so arranged the one within the other, as to leave an amount of space between the two which Will cause the cobs and ears to clog and accumulate therein, during theil passage through the same, and form an elastic self adjusting bed for the spirally arranged teeth or flanches of the shelling cylinder to act in concert with, in place of the stationary bar 0r rest which is employed in all other cylindrical corn shellers.

WILLIAM READING.

Witnesses:

J. L. BROWN, Z. C. ROBBINS. 

